


whelp, this might be your view for the next seven years

by funraveling



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/M, First Kiss, First Meetings, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-24 23:35:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20022859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/funraveling/pseuds/funraveling
Summary: sometimes you get to meet your soulmate twice(basically a new version of how jake and amy meet and fall in love)





	whelp, this might be your view for the next seven years

**Author's Note:**

> made especially for @galaxygaydreams (on tumblr) for the summer 2019 b99 fic exchange!
> 
> prompt: coffee shop au

Jake Peralta was beat, pun intended, after a long day at work. Young, moppy-haired, and wearing a somewhat wrinkled uniform, he had only been on the force for a year but was having the time of his life running after low-grade drug dealers and thieves.

Today he had chased down a drug dealer, on foot, for six blocks. He brought back the criminal to the precinct and got commended by his sergeant. After his shift, still high from the adrenaline rush, Jake decided to walk home. Now, about 2 miles into the trip, he was regretting the decision. His excitement was starting to die down but he was determined to walk the rest of the way. The next block down he saw a coffee shop and made a beeline through the door. If adrenaline won’t get him home, surely caffeine will.

But it turns out he didn’t even need coffee to get his heart racing again, because the barista at the counter was strikingly beautiful. Silky dark hair pulled into a ponytail, chocolate eyes, and soft lips. Jake tried to go into his “cool guy” mode, which was really just him acting like an idiot. He hoped his cop uniform would be enough to impress this woman.

The barista greeted him. “Hi, I’m Amy, what can I get for you today?”

Now was his chance to be funny. “I’ll have the filet mignon?”

Amy didn’t get the joke and looked confused. Jake blew it. Amy slowly replied, “Uh, you know this is a coffee shop, right?”

Jake was embarrassed. “Yeah, uh, ha, I was joking. What I’d actually like is a small black coffee.”

Amy looked relieved. “Oh, okay, yeah. I can do that. Sorry. I’ve been so stressed lately cause this coffee shop is closing down next week.”

“Oh no, that sucks. So you’re probably looking for a new job, huh?”

Amy replied as she went to pour his coffee. “Sort of. Well actually, I’m starting at the Police Academy soon.” Her eyes lit up.

“That’s so awesome.” Jake didn’t realize he could be infatuated with this woman any more. “I’ve been on the force for a year. I love it.”

“Hey, are you busy right now?” Amy said, as she exchanged the coffee for his credit card. “My lunch break is in a few minutes and I’d love to talk to you about your experience. I like to be prepared.”

“Yeah, definitely. I’ll grab us a table,” Jake said, enthusiastic to keep talking to her.

———

Thirty minutes went by and Jake and Amy were laughing like they had known each other for years. When Jake shared that his inspiration for becoming a cop was Die Hard, she didn’t laugh. Okay, maybe she laughed a little, but she understood why it was important to him. When he shared the story about his big arrest today, she was genuinely so excited for him. Amy shared with him her passions, goals, and worries about joining the force, but even in the uncertainties, Jake could tell she knew her path and he was sure that she would make an excellent sergeant, maybe even a captain one day.

When Amy realized she took an extra two minutes on her break, she shot up out of her seat and hurriedly told Jake, “Sorry, gotta go back to work. Thanks for talking, bye!” and scurried into the back room. Jake wanted to get her number but he wasn’t sure if her quick exit meant she didn’t want to keep talking, so he simply left.

A few days later, Jake still couldn’t stop thinking about the incredible barista-soon-to-be-cop and decided to walk home and stop by the cafe. Unfortunately it was a dead-end. The shop had already closed.

It took a couple weeks for Jake to stop thinking about Amy. A couple months went by until he forgot about her entirely. Or so it seemed.

———

Years later, Jake Peralta had the same moppy hair but now was embracing the perks of being a detective by wearing hoodies to work instead of a uniform.

A new detective was starting today, Amy Santiago, who was sitting at the desk across from his. Whenever Detective Charles Boyle was in a relationship, he spent the rest of his efforts trying to set up Jake with every woman he met. In this case, Charles hadn’t even met Amy yet but was convinced she was going to be Jake’s soulmate.

Jake was walking back to his desk when the new detective walked in. Short dark hair, bangs, and a pantsuit. Some might say her look could make her fade into the background, but Jake thought she had the prettiest eyes. He was instantly smitten but kept it professional and introduced himself. Amy said hello and shook his hand. There was definitely a spark, a moment of recognition, but neither could quite place where or why. 

As if out of nowhere, Charles came up to them and exclaimed “I hear wedding bells!”

Amy looked uneasy. Jake was embarrassed. “Uh, this is Detective Boyle,” he said, quick to move on from that awkward moment. “Welcome to the Nine-Nine. It’s pretty great here, we solve crimes and look good while doing it. Also the captain lets us get away with anything so we just do whatever we want.”

“Oh, I usually prefer to do things by the book,” Amy replied, but didn’t want to sound like a buzz kill, so she quickly added, “But I won’t get in the way of whatever you all want to do.”

So she’s Type-A. Jake knew his new mission would be to get her to have fun with the squad. “Cool, cool, cool. Well, the captain wanted to see you, his office in the back of the bullpen,” Jake pointed, “and I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah, nice to meet you,” Amy said, tucking her hair behind her ear and heading towards the captain’s office. 

A few minutes later Amy left the captain’s office and saw Jake sitting at his desk. “Hey, Peralta, do you know where I go now?”

Jake coyly replies, “Whelp, this might be your view for the next seven years, cause your desk is right there.” 

“Not a bad view,” she answered, shocking Jake because he thought she was flirting until she followed-up with, “I mean, I can always see who’s coming and going in the elevator.” This disappointed Jake, but Amy’s comment did actually slip from her mouth because Jake was cute and maybe she is a little flirty when she wants to be. But this was a professional setting so she had to act normal.

During the day, Jake couldn’t shake the feeling that Amy looked familiar, although he had no idea where. He wrote it off as the fact that he thought she was pretty and that’s probably why. 

———

A couple years later, Jake and Amy were working a case together. They were tracking a ring of robberies in the area. After a long day in the precinct, they decided to take a walk and get some coffee. On the way to the shop, Amy decided to talk about her past before joining the force. “Actually, I once worked at a café. I’m not good at making coffee though, so maybe I’m to blame for why they closed down.”

And that made Jake stop in his tracks. Suddenly he realized where he knew Amy. “We’ve met before!” he exclaimed. She turned to smile sweetly at him. “Yeah, we did. I was wondering if you remembered.”

“I couldn’t place it for the longest time but now I totally remember. Wait. So you knew this whole time? Why didn’t you say anything?”

Amy suddenly felt nervous. “I have a good memory. Well, and also it was really meaningful to me. Helped me be confident that I was on the right track.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize you cared about what I say,” Jake tried to joke it off. 

“You’re actually really smart even if you think gummy worms and chocolate milk is cereal.”

Jake laughed. Not his fake work laugh, but genuine joy. “You do know me.”

They stood on the side of the street, eyes locked, trying to figure out what the other was thinking. Jake wanted to kiss her. It seemed like fate that she would turn up in his life again. Amy was thinking about how her fellow detective was kind of an idiot but also one of the sweetest guys she knew. Jake suddenly remembered Charles’ “I hear wedding bells” and broke off his gaze to continue walking to the café.

They went on, almost touching, but being very conscious of where their hands and arms and shoulders were. They were now silent, thinking about what just happened. Was that a moment? Amy was suddenly aware that she might actually have feelings for Jake and Jake realized he couldn’t deny his feelings for Amy anymore.

In the coffee shop, Jake ordered for both of them, including the chocolate croissant that was her favorite. They moved to wait on the side of the store for their order. Amy, now equally nervous and excited, barely whispered, “You do know me too.” 

Jake turned to her, stars in his eyes. “Uh, um, yeah,” was the best he could come up with. “If you spend enough time with someone you learn their quirks.”

“I guess, but you seem to notice a lot.”

“Only when it’s you. I mean, uh, ‘cause I see you every day.”

“Remember when I sat down at my desk and you said this might be my view for the next seven years?”

“Yeah.”

“Well it’s not seven years yet but it’s a nice view.”

“Right, of the elevator.”

Amy bit her lip. “And of you.”

Jake stood there, speechless, looking at Amy. Should he kiss her? Was it the all in his head? He swore she was leaning her chin up but he wasn’t sure until…

Some stranger knocked into him and pushed him into the wall, now pushing up against Amy. Frozen in place, neither wanted to move but they couldn’t stay like this forever.

“Jake…” Amy breathed, and as if he was waiting for that word of permission, Jake leaned in to kiss her. Both were shocked at first, sparks coursing through their veins, and then they leaned into it. Jake’s hands rested on her waist as Amy placed a hand on his neck and pulled him closer. It felt like an eternity and only a second before the moment was ended by “JAKE!” yelled by the barista.

They looked at each other, a new love blossoming. Jake smiled, softly, and almost unnoticeable but unmistakably present. “Maybe we should get dinner instead?”

Amy nodded, starting to break free from the spell. “Okay, but I think we need to make some rules…” she started, as they walked out of the coffee shop, fingertips grazing, shoulders leaning against one another.


End file.
